Atillo Balintawak Seminar – Kali – Saavedra Libertyville, Illinois

The Northshore Academy of Martial Arts would like to welcome Atillo Balintawak as he covers his art of Atillo Balintawak Original Saavedra style of Escrima Kali

Atillo’s style, movement, education and energy always prove to be one of the most beneficial…and fun seminars of the year! Keep in mind…There are very few Grandmasters left, especially those that have achieved as much as Grandmaster Atillo. His background in Filipino Martial Arts rich in history and valuable beyond words. Grandmaster Atillo is one of the only living masters still alive from the days of Kali death matches! His form of Kali is effective, efficient…and will mold seamlessly into the Inosanto Kali taught at Northshore Academy of Martial Arts.

This is an opportunity to meet one of the greatest living legends!

The History of Balintawak and Grandmaster Atillo

Crispulo Atillo was 14 years old when he began his formal training in 1952 under Arnis legend Venancio “Anciong” Bacon, but his first fighting experience came at a much younger age. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in the early 1940s, Crispulo Atillo’s father was a member of the resistance, and more than once both father and son narrowly avoided capture. It was also during these war years that he witnessed Venancio Bacon and another legendary Balintawak master, Teodoro Saavedra, fight in challenge matches.

These early experiences left a deep impression on the young Crispulo Atillo and made him a lifelong devotee of the original style of Balintawak arnis.

After World War II, the only surviving Balintawak master was Venancio Bacon. It was from him that Crispulo Atillo learned most of this single-stick style. But Crispulo Atillo’s father was also a student of the late Teodoro Saavedra, and the senior Atillo passed those skills along to his son. The result was a style of Arnis that made the junior Atillo one of the best ambassadors of Arnis in the Philippines.

The Technique of Balintawak and Grandmaster Atillo

Crispulo Atillo’s balintawak Arnis is a single-stick style. The free hand is used for controlling the opponent’s stick. When a student begins training, he starts with basic blocks, strikes and stances that are common to most styles of balintawak. The stick is held vertically and directly in front of the face while the practitioner swivels from side to side to block attacks. Crispulo Atillo then teaches stick-to-stick drills, followed by stick-and-hand drills — all of which lead up to his specialty, sparring.

In the Philippines, Crispulo Atillo is famous as a fighter, and his style reflects this. It emphasizes simple techniques and footwork. In fact, like many boxing coaches, Crispulo Atillo believes that mastering stances and footwork is the most important part of fighting. They, along with the vertical-stick defense, are given a great deal of attention in his style of Balintawak.

Crispulo Atillo claims that his fights are what really make him a master of Arnis. He has fought in four full-contact challenge matches with no protective gear and banged sticks with some of the biggest names in the Filipino martial arts. In fact, he fought doce pares grandmaster Ciriaco “Cacoy” Cañete in the last officially sanctioned “death match” in the Philippines in 1983. While the fight ended in controversy — both sides claimed victory after less than a minute of fighting — it was the kind of encounter that most Arnis practitioners never even come close to experiencing.

Atillo Balintawak Seminar Details

This 2 day seminar will focus on stick-fighting, but can be applied with bladed weapons as well as empty hands. Efficiency and power fused together to form a highly efficient combat system best describes this seminar. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to train with a dying breed of Eskrimador!

Reserve your 1 day seminar spot today and Pay with Paypal below at $69 for one day | $89 at the door (please specify what day you would like to attend in the comments section during the Paypal checkout process:

Directions

The Northshore Academy of Martial Arts is conveniently located in north suburban Chicago, only 20 miles south of the Wisconsin border and approximately 10 miles from Fort Sheridan, Gurnee Mills, and Six Flags Great America. Libertyville is easily accessible from Interstate 94 exits at IL Rt 60 (Townline Rd), IL Rt 176 (Rockland Rd), and IL Rt 137 (Buckley/Peterson Rd).